Vending-machine.



L. C. TARASCH.

VENDlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION mu) JUNE 12. 1915.

1,265,83 1 Patented May 14, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

IIVI/EIVTOR HIS A TTOR/VEV L. C. TARASCH.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 12, 1915.

l ,26 5,83 1 Patented May 14, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wi'T/VESSES INVENTUR I! v v i B Z H/shm/mr LOUIS C. TARASCH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PENNY PACKAGE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14., 1918.

'1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS O. TARASGH, a subject of the Czar of Russia, residing at New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to coin-controlled package vending machines of general application, but particularly designed for vending chewing gum, chocolates and other merchandise in small packages of uniform size from the backs of theater chairs and other supports.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a vending machine of a simplified form which may be economically construct ed preferably from stamped metal parts and free of expensive machine parts, so that it may be marketed at a low cost and at the same time insure a positive ejection of one package at a time when a definite type of coin is deposited.

The invention is characterized by a package ejecting mechanism, operated through the agency of a coin, locked against retrograde movement before the completion of the package expelling movement, by the utilization of the curved periphery of the coin as a wedge, to facilitate an easy and smooth ejection of the vended package and by an economical distribution of a minimum amount of material to form the structural parts of the requisite strength.

The invention is further distinguished by novel means for rejecting and returning to the operator spurious coins and tokens and contemplates novel means for preventing the introduction of coins after all the packages have been discharged and for preventing tampering with the mechanism so that it shall be practically impossible for anyone to abstract a package without placing in the machine a coin of the proper denomination or to unload the machine by a single coin.

Further objects of the invention relate to the casing and to the mounting ofall parts likely to become damaged on a removable insert designed to be replaced without efi'ect ing the external appearance of the machine and still other objects relate to means for providing ready access to the parts for recharging and inspection.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are each front views in elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with parts broken away to show internal constructions and each figure showing the parts during succeeding periods of the ejecting operation; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device with parts of the containing casing broken 10 provided with means 11 for attaching the same to the back of a theater chair or other suitable support. An open top b0x-form of ledge 12 constitutes the bottom of the device and is fixed to and extends forwardly from the lower portion of the rear supporting wall. Opposite side edges of this wall above the box 12 are inturned to provide retaining grooves 13 facing inwardly and adapted to hold the demountable parts of the device, hereinafter described. The front face and adjacent portion of the bottom of the box is provided with a two-sided package discharge opening 14 designed to permit ready access in order to withdraw therefrom the vended package. The bottom of this box is provided with a lock 15 for fastening the inclosingfront casing 16 into locked position.

.,eee our back in position to rest on the bottom of the box 12. A vertically extending open front reservoir 18 for the packages 19 to be vended is supported from the back plate 17 and slightly advanced therefrom to form a space 20, designed to accommodate the package ejecting mechanism, hereinafter described.

The stack of packages rest upon a bot- .tom plate 21 having a discharge end '22 at the inner side of the receptacle. The bottom plate is turned down and bent back upon itself to formthe upper plate defining the upper portion of the erected package passageway 24. Facing the discharging end of the bot-tom plate is a downwardly and inwardly inclined package guiding plate 25 defining the bottom of the passageway 2i and leading to the portion of the bOX adjacent the opening 14. The inside wall 25 of the reservoir is provided with an opening 26. at the discharge end of the bottom plate, of a depth sufficient to permit the passage of the lowermost pack age of the stack, but not sufficient to permit the passing of the next package in the stack. Preferably this opening is closed by means of a hanging spring pressed gate 27 opened outward by means of the lowermost package pressing against the same, as it is forced from the stack,v as shown in Fi 2.

r package ejecting mechanism is Il'lQHIltfid in the space 20 in rear of the reservoir and includes a relatively long and vertichlly extending package ejecting lever :28 fulcrumed adjacent its upper end. The lower arm of this lever is provided with a forwardly extending package engaging finger 29 designed to bear against the lowermost package on the side thereof opposite the opening 26 to force the package through the opening, raising the gate 27 in its movement therethrough. 'llhe outer wall of the reservoir is provided with an opening 30 at the bottom thereof to permit the entrance of the finger into the reservoir in its ejecting movement. The portion of the bottom adjacent the opening 30 is slightly curved upward to approach the path of movement of the finger and to form a protecting piece I 31 for protecting the lower end of the lever as the unit is slid in place. The upper arm "of the lever is offset inwardly from avertical line passing through the fulcrum of the lever and 1s provlded with an upper face 32 and a lower coin engaging face 33 both inclined downwardly toward said vertical line. A coin cradle 34 is fixed to the plate 17, faces the coin engaging face 33 and is spaced normally therefrom a distance less than the diameter of the particular size coin 85 necessary to operate the device. The cradle is provided with a concaved coir receiving surface 36, designed to support a portion of theperiphery of the coin edgewise therein. The end of the surface farthest removed from the face 33 constitutes a coin receiving stop 3? and the end nearest the face 33 is positioned slightly below the stop 3? and constitutes a coin discharging end 38. A pin 39 projects from the plate 17 and is spaced from the lever 28 and from the stop 37 a distance sufficient to provide a threepoint support for the coin when inserted between the pin, stop and adjacent part of the lever.

A three-arm actuating lever 40 is pivotally mounted to the plate 17 above the ejecting leverwith one of the arms 41 thereof extending upwardly through the .top of the inclosing casing to the outside and con stituting av conveniently positioned actuating handle. The two lower arms 4'2 and 43, of the lever 40, form a depending wide open jaw which, in effect, straddles the offset arm of the ejecting lever and is freely movable relative thereto. One of the arms 42 constitutes a lever engaging arm provided with a straight cam-surface 44 adapted to be drawn by the coiled spring l5 into resilient engagement with the upper face 32 to swing the ejecting lever on its fulcrum into the normal inoperative position shown in Fig. l. The other arm a3 is inwardly curved and is designed to pass above the pin 39 to engage the edge of the coin resting on the stop 37. The coin engaging end of the arm 13 is designed to move in a path passing substantially through the center of the coin and between the-converging wedging surfaces formed by the face 33 and cradle surface 36. This movement will act to force the coin onto the concaved surface and at the same time act through the coin to force the ejecting lever away from the cradle into its operative position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper edges 7 of the arms and 43 are provided with laterally extending flanges 46 and 1-? constituting closing plates on opposite sides of the handle 41 designed to close the handle slot 4-8 in the top plate 49 of the casing 16 thereby to prevent access to the mechanism from the outside of the device.

The top plate 49 is also provided with a coin slot 50 adjacent its front edge which slot is designed to be positioned above the receiving end of a rearwardly and laterally inclined coin chute 51, which is fixed to a depending vertically disposed plate 52, in turn fixed to the back plate 17 by spacing washers 53. This coin chute is, in effect, an

upwardly facing channel plate, including rect the coin onto the stop 37 and between the ejecting lever and the pin 39, but this lower end of the chute is spaced from the rear plate so as to permit the coin engaging arm 43 to pass between the chute and the rear plate. Preferably the pin 39 does not extend entirely to the plate 52 but is merely of a length to intercept coins of the proper thickness inserted between the plates 17 and 52, allowing thinner checks to pass directly into the coin box, hereinafter described, without actuating the ejecting mechanism. The portion of the web 55 at the lower end of the chute is broken away to provide an opening 56 through the bottom of the chute substantially equal in width to the distance between the guiding flanges 54. A tongue 57 having a free end projects centrally into the opening 56 and constitutes a continuation of the web, with lateral extensions 58 from the opening 56 positioned on each side of the tongue. The upper portion of the web, immediately below the coin slot 50, is recessed from its upper edge to provide a relatively long opening 59 forming supporting flanges 60 on opposite sides thereof. This opening 59 is made as long as possible, which length is increased by the angular disposition of thechute, so as to pro vide the longest possible opportunity for small coins to drop therethrough as they are guided down therangle formed by the lower flange and web of the chute. A closing finger 61 projects laterally from the front side of the lever 40 in position to close the coin chute as soon as the lever is actuated. A coin receptacle 62 is positioned directly below the openings in the bottom of the chute and above the passageway 24. The receptacle is provided with a top entrance slot 63 adjacent the back plate into which .slot coins are guided from the discharge end 38 by means of a guiding rib 64. The top and front sides of the coin receptacle are formed into a downwardly and outwardly curved plate 65 designed to eo-act with the front wall 66 of the inclosing casing 16 to provide a chute for directing articles tripped from the coin chute into the passageway 24 so as to return the same to the operator. The plate 65 is pivoted adjacent its upper end so as to be swung into open position to empty the receptacle of its contents. The plate is povided with a retaining clip 67 and is conveniently accessible from the front of the device when the inclosing casing'is removed.

This casing is provided with sides 68having out-turned flanges 69 defining the vertical edges, which flanges are adapted to be slid-ably inserted into the grooves 13 to hold the casing in place. The casing is provided with a bolt slot 7 O cooperating with the lock 15 to fasten the'parts in locked position.

A weight 71 is placed on top of the stack of packages to insure their descent, the underside of which weight is recessed to provide a slot 72 adapted, when the reservoir is exhausted of its packages, to catch the finger 29 and lock the ejecting mechanism and the coin slot.

In operation, and assuming that the several parts are in their normal position, shown in Fig. 1, with packages of chocolate, gum or the like stacked in the reservoir, a coin of the proper dimension is inserted in the coin-slot from which it drops gravitationally into and along the coin chute and then down into'position between the plates 17 and 52 coming to rest on the stop 37, between the adjacent end of the lever face 33 and the pin 39, shown in Fig. 1.

As the coin has a solid center, the tongue 57 supports the coin across the opening 57 as if the web of the chute were continuous to the bottom end thereof.

Should an article of a diameter less than the diameter of the proper coin, be inserted into the chute, the article will roll down the lower of the guiding flanges 54, but the 'upper edge thereof, being unsupported,'will fall through the opening 59 dropping directly upon the curved guiding plate 65., The article will slide off the plate 65, pass through the opening between the plate and theadjacent front face of the closing casing, from which opening it will drop onto the plate 25 and then into the box in position accessible through the opening 14. Should an article of the diameter of the "proper coin, but provided with a central opening, such as a washer, be inserted through the coin slot, such a washer will slide down the chute but in passing over the tongue 57 the forward portion will fall through the opening 56, the lateral sides will turn into the opening extensions 59 and the washer will eventually slide off the free end of the tongue falling on the plate 65 and through the passageway 24 take the path hereinbefore described for articles passing through the opening 59.

Should a thin coin, having a thickness less than that of the proper coin to actuate the device, be inserted in the slot, this thin coin Will fall into position between the plates 17 and 52. but when the coin engaging end of the actuating lever 43 engages such thin coin, it will tend to force the coin forwardly, past the free end of the pin 39, thus forcing any thin coin into the coin receptacle withoutactuating the package ejecting mechanism.

With the proper coin inserted in the initial position, shown in Fig. 1. the operator moves the handle 41 to the right from the position shown in this figure, which action will swing the lever 40 about its fulcrum and at the same time place the spring 45 under tension. The end of the arm 43 will engage the coin forcing the same in a direction avvay from the pin 89 and oti the stop 37 and lower the same into the concavcd coin receiving surface of the cradle. The rounded advanced periphery of the coin will act as a wedge for engaging the face 33 ot' the lever and for forcing the same upward into the position shown in Fig. 2. lhis initial movement of the actuating handle forces the coin into a locked and nonretreating position on the cradle and starts the ejecting lever 28 in its package ejecting movement. This action swings the package engaging finger 29 of the'lever from its inoperative position otlset from the reservoir through the opening 30 into engagement with the lowermost package forcing the same from its stack through the opening 27, simultaneously raising the gate 27 into open position.

Continuing the movement of the actuating handle causes the same to act on the coin to ride the same up the incline tovvard the discharge end 28 during Which movement the upper arm of the lever is ivedged upivard and this Wedgii'ig movement is continued until the lever has reached the limit ing position in its package ejecting direction. As the lever reaches its limiting position in this direction, the outer end of the package will become overbalanced and then falling from the discharge opening Will turn over onto the receiving ledge farmed by the guiding plate 25 from which it will slide into the box in position to lie with drawn by the operator inserting his fingers into the opening ll, as shown in Fig. 3.

The filial operative movement of the actuating handle will be to cause the arm 43 positively to eject the coin from the cradle, the coin falling from. the discharge end 38 onto the rib 6% from which it is guided into the coin receptacle 62. As the package is ejected the stack falls to bring the next lowermost package onto the bottom plate 21, this action being insured by the extra Weight 71. After the package has been ejected the lever 28 is idle thus eliminating any possibility of fraudulent manipulation of the device repeatedly With the one coin.

Releasing the manual tension on the handle 41 permits the spring as to swing the lever back into its initial position shovvn in Fig. 1. during which movement the camsurface 4 of this lever engages the top surface of the lever 28 forcing the same positively into its initial position with the finger 29 cleared of the reservoir. The device is again in position to be actuated, conditioned upon the insertion of a proper coin in the coin slot.

As the last package in the stack is ejected, the Weight 71 takes its place in the stack as shoivn in Fig. 3, the end of the Weight adja cent the opening 30 falling in rear or" the ejected package and in rear of the moving finger At the limit of its movement the finger is caught in the slot 72 which prevents its retreat into the initial position and thus locks the actuating mechanism against further manipulation until the Weight is moved from its locking position. With the lever 28 locked, the upper end thereof engages the arm e2 01 the lever d0 holding the actuating lever in the position shown in Fig. 3 With the finger 61 positioned across the coin slot to prevent the entrance of any coin therein.

Access is provided to the device for the purpose of recharging the reservoir and for emptying the receptacle, by unlockin the fastening lock 15 and removingthe Iront portion of the inclosing casing. As the top and front faces of the package receptacle are open ready access is attained thereto for re charging.

Should it be desired to remove the actuating mechanism for any purpose, as for repairs, the plate 17 and its attached parts are removed as a unit and another similar unit inserted in place, or the inclosing casing may be reassembled Without any insert, thus preserving the appearance of the device.

By means 0:? a device of this character it is practically impossible to operate the device, except by means of a coin of the proper denomination. Spurious coins and Washers are thrown out of operative engagement with the ejecting mechanism merely by means of their physical configuration. Large coins cannot be inserted at all through the coin slot, small coins and tokens will fall through the opening in the chute, thin coins will he forced past the pin 39 and washers and other apertured tokens Will be tripped from the chute by the tongue 57. All of these functions are attained by fixed structural parts, thus eliminating the use of tripping levers, balancing devices, magnets, and other parts of expensive construction usually found in devices of this character.

Referring to the package ejecting mechanism, it is noted that it comprises merely two pivoted levers and an actuating spring for operating through the agency of a coin of the proper denomination to forcibly eject the packages one at a time from the package reservoir. As all of the strains on these parts are edgeWise thereof or in the direction of the fiat dimension of the members they may be made of a thin gage sheet metal, merely stamped to size and flanged, all in the one stamping operation. This is of particular advantage when the mechanism is locked by the Weight in the reservoir, the large amount of material flatwise offering a material resistance to the actuation of the projecting handle. ln the case of heavy stacks of packages, it is usually difficult to eject the lowermost package, especially when the stack is weighted, but by means at the wedging efi'ect of the coin between the cradle and the ejecting lever, the actuation of the machine is rendered easy, due to the prolonged engagement of the coin in its wedging movement. In other Words, the long manually actuated stroke of the handle 41 is resolved into a relatively short ejecting stroke of the package ejecting finger engaging the lowermost package. By this means the device may be operated by a child as but little strength is necessary to move the actuating handle. Obviously the spring 45 need be of a tension merely sufiicient to return the two levers to their normal inoperative positions.

After the coin has been moved onto the concaved face of the cradle, any reversing movement thereof is prevented, thus rendering it impossible to actuate the mechanism and unload the machine by the manipulation of one coin. The coin must progress forwardly and when at theend of its actuating movement is dropped or rather positively pushed off the discharge end of the cradle.

It is noted that all of the mechanical parts and receptacles, which might get out of order, are carried on a single frame or plate, removable as a unit from the inclosing casing. By this means it is possible for the person attending the devices, to carry about with him several of these inserts and to replace the damaged insert without stopping to make the usual minor repairs during his rounds. As the casing is complete without the insert, it is possible to removethe insert and reclose the casing preserving its appearance, which is desirable in theaters and other places where the presence of a dismantled box would be objectionable.

The casing is provided with a minimum number of openings therethrough and these openings cooperate with the deposition of the mechanism mounted therein, so that the mechanism cannot be fraudulently manipulated by the insertion of tools through the opening.

It is of the utmost commercial necessity that these devices be constructed cheaply and at the basis of this invention is the importance of designing a construction which may be readily stamped to shape and assembled with the least possible amount of machining. At the same time it is necessary to provide a simple and compact type of device designed to be constructed in relatively small sizes, so as to be installed in situations, where space must be economically distributed, such as theaters, street-cars and the like.

While I have shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its op eration may be made by those skilled in the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a package ejecting mechanism including a vertically extending-package-ejecting-lever piv oted intermediate its length with its upper arm ofiset laterally from a vertical line passing through the fulcrum, said ofi'set arm provided with a substantially straight edge coin engagin surface normally facing downward, a cradle provided with a concaved coin receiving surface spaced from the normal position of said straight surface a distance less than the diameter of the coin necessary to operate the mechanism, a manually controlled actuating member having a movement toward said straight surface and between the same and said cradle adapted to engage a coin inserted between the memher and cradle to force the coin onto the concaved surface of the cradle, to act through the coin to actuate the lever and finally to move the coin oil the cradle.

2. In a device of the class described, an ejecting mechanism including a vertically extending-package-ejecting-lever having its lower arm designed to engage the package to be ejected and the upper arm provided with a stop face on one side and a coin engaging face on the opposite side, athree arm actuating lever with two of its arms straddling the upper arm of the package-ejectinglever, with one of the two arms resiliently engaging the stop face and the other arm adapted to engage a coin engaging the coinengaging-face and the third arm of-the lever constituting an actuating handle and a coin support for holding the coin in position between the coin-engaging-face of the ejecting lever and the coin arm of the actuating lever.

3. In a device of the class described, a concaved coin cradle adapted to contain a portion of the periphery of a coin and provided with a receiving end and a discharging end, a package ejecting lever having a C0111 engagin face normally oflset from the discharge en of the cradle a distance less than the diameter of the actuating coin, a coin engaging arm normally positioned oil"- set from the receiving end of the cradle whereby a coin may be positioned on the cradle between the ejecting lever and coin arm, said cradle having its receiving end positioned above its discharging end so as to prevent the retreat of the coin.

4. In a device of the class described, an ejecting mechanism comprising a fixed cradle adapted to receive a coin positioned edgewise thereon, a package ejecting member'having a coin engaging part normally positioned a distance from the cradle less than the diameter of the actuating coin and constituting a movable stop for the coin, manually actuated means for moving the coin along said cradle and into engagement With the coin engaging part of the ejecting memher, said part inclined toward the line of movement of the coin whereby the rounded periphery of the coin will act as a Wedge to move the member away from the cradle and thus eject a package and said manually actuated means having a further movement in the coin Wedging direction after the ejecting mechanism has functioned to force the coin out of its operative engagement with the ejecting member.

5. In a device of the class described, an ejecting mechanism including a package ejecting lever provided with an upper arm oil-set from a vertical line passing through its fulcrum, and extending at an angle to such line, a three arm actuating lever pivoted above said offset arm with two or the arms of the actuating lever straddling said offset arm and the third arm constituting a handle, aspring acting on said actuating lever to bring one of the straddling arms thereof into pressing engagement With the upper face of the ofi'set arm thereby to swing the actuating lever normally into inoperative posit-ion and means for guiding an actuating coin into position between the undertace of said odset arm and the other of the straddling arms whereby a movement of the handle will cause the last named straddling arm to engage the coin and acting through the same to move the ejecting lever into operative position against the action of said sprin 6. in a device or the class described, the combination of a package ejecting lever provi de-d vvith a downwardly facing coin engaging edge, a coin cradle facing said edge and provided with a coin guiding portion curved toward said edge whereby a coin moving along said guiding portion will engage said edge to raise the same and thus actuate the lever, and manually actuated means for torcing the coin along said guiding portion of the cradle.

7. In a device ot' the class described, the combination of a package ejecting lever provided with a downwardly facing coin engag ing edge, a coin cradle facing said edge and provided with a coin guiding portion curved toward said edge whereby a coin moving along said guiding portion will engage said edge to raise the same and thus actuate the lever. and manually actuated means for torcing the coin along said guiding portion of the cradle. said manually actuated means having a further movement after the actuation of the ejecting lever operable to move the coin positively from the cradle' 8. in a device ot the class described, the

nnbinatioi; oi a back plate provided with a means for attaching the same in position on the back of a theater chair, a unit includinga base plate, a receptacle for the packages to be vended, a coin controlled package ejecting mechanism and a coin box, all mounted on one face of said base plate, said unit demountably carried by said back plate and designed to be removed therefrom as a unit, and an inclosing casing adapted to be positioned on said back for inclosing said unit and means for locking the casing in place.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a back member provided With means for mounting the same in position and including a back plate having oppositely disposed inturned edges and provided with a forwardly projecting bottom member, a demountable insert including a plate slidably tittedbetvveen said inturned edges and including a reservoir for the packages to be ejected and mechanism for ejecting the packages, and demountable casing for inclosing the said insert and having oppositely disposed flanges also adapted to fit between said inturned edges and meansifor locking the casing to the back member.

10. A device oi the class described, comprising an inclosing casing provided With a coin slot, an actuating lever slot and a ven ing outlet, of a unit adapted to be contained Within said casing and provided with a coin chute, a mechanism actuating lever and a receptacle for the packages to be vended and means for positioning said insert so as to bring the coin slot and lever slot into operative relation respectively With the coin chute and lever and to bring the reservoir into operative relation With the outlet.

11. in a device of the class described, a reservoir for a stack of packages to be ejected. a member provided with a coin slot, a package ejecting mechanism including a fiat package ejecting lever provided With a lata erally extending finger for displacing the lowermost package from the stack and including a flat manually actuated lever provided with a lateral extension for closing the coin slot, said lever pivotally supported to engage each other edgevvise and substantially contain in one plane, a Weight adapted to rest on the stack of packages and provided with means operable when the Weight reaches the bottom of the reservoir for engaging said laterally extending finger to lock the ejecting mechanism and to close the coin slot.

12. in a device of the class described, the combination with a casing having a coin slot in the top thereof, a package ejecting mechanism including a manually actuated member provided with an extension for closing said slot and a vertically extending package ejecting lever pivoted intermediate its length With the upper arm provided With ejecting lever thereby to hold Sflld face a cam face operatively engaging said mancammed against the manually actuated memually actuated member to maintain the exher to lock the slot.

tension in position covering the slot, a pack- Signed at New York, in the county of age reservoir, a Weight in said reservoir pro- New York and State of New York, this vided with a groove on the underside thereeleventh day of June, A. D. 1915.

of adapted to engage the lower end of the LOUIS (J. TARASCH.

Copies of this patent be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

